DE69108641T2 - Banknote handling device. - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sheet handling device for handling individual sheets, and in particular to a paper handling device for handling a stock of negotiable securities, such as banknotes, stock certificates, mortgage bonds and the like, and to an automated teller machine with such a handling device.

One of these devices is an automated device for paying with cash, in which numbers printed on the banknotes are read at the same time as the banknotes are picked up and the order in which the banknotes are picked up is stored. When the banknotes are paid out again, these stored numbers are read again and compared with the order in which the numbers were stored. Such a device is known, for example, from JP-A-55-41570.

In the prior art described, an automated cash payment device reads the numbers printed on the banknotes when paying out banknotes and compares the numbers printed on these banknotes with the previously read numbers of received banknotes when paying out banknotes; therefore, the prior art did not take into account the handling of stocks of banknotes stored in the automated cash payment device. Furthermore, the prior art mentioned above did not describe how to process banknotes whose numbers are not readable when the banknotes are received in the device. Furthermore, the prior art mentioned above did not describe a method for storing parts of numbers printed on banknotes in order to be able to specify all the banknotes in the device, nor a system for Reading numbers printed on banknotes is described, in which every nth banknote is stored in the device, the step size n being adjustable by an operator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for automatically handling all sheets in real time, including those sheets that have been received in a device, that are being removed from the device and that cannot be removed from the device.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sheet handling device whose storage area can be reduced by storing only parts of letters or symbols of each sheet without storing all of the letters or symbols, or by storing only the sheets after a number of sheets corresponding to the set step size.

Furthermore, it is still another object of the invention to provide a device that collectively displays in real time the status of the sheets processed by the device.

The device according to the invention reads data representing characteristics of each sheet to be received in the device, receives only those sheets whose data could be read in the device, and stores the read data in the order in which the sheets were received in the device. When sheets are output from the device, the device reads the data representing the characteristics of the sheets and checks the agreement of the read sheet data with the previously stored sheet data, so that the device handles each of the individual sheets.

The sheets to be outputted whose data representing the characteristics could not be read are stored in the device, and the sheets are specified based on the data stored at the beginning, so that the device handles each sheet stored in the device.

According to the invention, since the device reads the data representing the characteristics of each sheet to be fed into the device and feeds into the device only those sheets whose data could be read, it is possible to confirm all the sheets fed into the device. Furthermore, since the device can store the sheet data in the order in which the sheets were fed into the device, it is easy to find the locations where the sheets were fed. Furthermore, since the device reads the data indicating the characteristics of the sheets to be fed out and checks the agreement of the read sheet data with the previously stored sheet data, it is possible to specify the sheets to be fed out when sheets are fed out from the device. Furthermore, since the apparatus keeps stored those sheets which are to be output but whose data indicating the sheet characteristics could not be read, and since the apparatus can specify those sheets whose data could not be stored and therefore remain stored in the apparatus on the basis of the data which could be read as well as the previously stored data, it is possible to completely handle the sheets in the apparatus. Furthermore, it is possible to complete the sheet handling while sheets are being taken into the apparatus or while sheets are being output from the apparatus, so that the apparatus does not require manpower or time for handling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of a device according to the invention,

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a banknote processing unit of an automated teller machine comprising the apparatus of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a schematic control diagram showing, as an example of the operation of an automated teller machine according to the invention, a system for storing parts of letters or symbols representing characteristics of banknotes for a predetermined number of banknotes,

Figure 4 is a diagram showing a general control program flow of the banknote handling control system according to the invention,

Figure 5 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of an initialization process routine of the general control program flow of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the banknote accepting process routine of Figure 4,

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the data reading process routine of Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the memory state setting process routine of Figure 7,

Figure 9 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the output process routine of Figure 4,

Figure 10 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the non-reading process routine of Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the process routine of reading Figure 9,

Figure 12 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the correspondence reading process routine of Figure 11,

Figure 13 is a diagram showing a detailed program flow of the correspondence check process routine of Figure 12,

Figure 14 is a schematic control diagram showing a system for storing all the letters or symbols representing the characteristics of banknotes for a given number of banknotes as another example of the operation of the automated teller machine according to the invention,

Figure 15 is a schematic control diagram showing the system for storing parts of letters or symbols representing characteristics of banknotes for all banknotes as yet another example of the operation of the automated teller machine according to the invention,

Figure 16 is a schematic control diagram showing the system for storing all the letters or symbols representing the characteristics of banknotes for all banknotes as yet another example of shows the operation of the ATM according to the invention, and

Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of the display-operating unit for an operator according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Details of the sheet handling device according to the invention are explained with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention. This apparatus comprises a sheet characteristics recognition unit 1 for recognizing characteristics of sheets such as banknotes, a sheet receiving control unit 2 for controlling the mechanism for conveying and storing sheets, a sheet input and output control unit 3 for controlling the mechanism for feeding sheets into the apparatus or for outputting sheets from the apparatus, a user display-operation unit 4 which is an information transmission unit for displaying information for users of the apparatus or for inputting information into the apparatus by users, an operator display-operation unit 5 which is an information transmission unit for displaying information for users of the apparatus or for inputting information into the apparatus by operators, and a control unit 10 for carrying out overall control of all the control units. The control unit 10 comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 11, a main memory 12 and a data memory 13 for storing data.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the banknote processing unit of the automated teller machine having the device of Figure 1. An automated teller machine 20 includes a banknote input and output port 21 through which users can input or output banknotes into or from the machine, a first banknote collecting unit 22 and a second banknote collecting unit 23 for collecting banknotes input into the machine for various purposes, a third banknote collecting unit 24 for receiving banknotes that cannot be output from the machine, a fourth banknote collecting unit 25 for loading banknotes into the machine, and a banknote conveying unit 26 for conveying banknotes into the individual units. The sheet characteristics detecting unit 1 for reading the characteristics of banknotes is arranged at a predetermined position of the banknote conveying unit 26. Next, an example of a banknote handling operation of the automated teller machine of Fig. 2 will be described.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of banknote handling in the automated teller machine of Figure 2. Banknote numbers and types of money are used as characteristic data of banknotes, and the automated teller machine stores parts of banknote numbers for each sheet and stores the data of banknotes indicated by circles in Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates the case where the characteristic recognition unit 1 reads banknote numbers of banknotes A and B, the last two digits of the numbers are read as parts of the data for each banknote and these two-digit numbers are stored in the data memory 13. Each of the banknote collecting units 22, 23, 24 and 25 of the automated teller machine 20 collects banknotes in the order of receiving the banknotes from the bottom of the collecting unit upwards, and dispenses banknotes starting from the top of the banknotes received in the collecting unit. Reading data of banknotes A and B are stored in respective memories in the order in which these banknotes are received in the device. If data of a certain banknote cannot be read, the banknote whose data cannot be read is read based on the data of the banknote that is next can be read. The banknote data of the unreadable banknote previously stored in the data memory 13 is stored in the data area of non-dispensable banknotes.

Figure 4 shows a general control program flow for implementing the control concept of the banknote handling shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detailed flow chart of the initialization process routine (step 200) of the general control process routine of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a detailed flow chart of the banknote acceptance process routine shown in Figure 4 (step 500). Figure 7 is a detailed flow chart of the data reading process routine shown in Figure 6 (step 510). Figure 8 is a detailed flow chart of the memory state setting process routine shown in Figure 7 (step 530). Figure 9 is a detailed flow chart of the output process routine shown in Figure 4 (step 600). Figure 10 is a detailed flow chart of the non-read time processing shown in Figure 9 (step 610). Figure 11 is a detailed flow chart of the read time processing shown in Figure 9 (step 620). Figure 12 is a detailed flow chart of the process routine for reading shown in Figure 11 (step 640). Figure 13 is a detailed flow chart of the process routine for checking correspondence shown in Figure 12 (step 670).

Details of the operation of the device according to the invention are explained below.

When starting the operation of the automated teller machine 20 of Figure 2, it is necessary to load banknotes into the machine. Banknotes to be loaded are filled into the fourth banknote collecting unit 25 by means of a separate device or manually, whereby banknotes are introduced into the automated teller machine 20. The banknotes are then fed one by one through the banknote conveying unit 26 sent to the characteristics recognition unit 1 which reads the characteristics of the banknotes. All the data which have been read are stored in the data storage unit 13, and banknotes whose data could not be read are temporarily stored in the banknote input and output port 21 and then taken up into the fourth banknote collecting unit 25 upon completion of loading of banknotes into the fourth banknote collecting unit 25. In the above operation, the automatic teller machine 20 can handle only banknotes whose data could be read when they were loaded. Next, the case where a user puts banknotes into the automatic teller machine will be described. Banknotes put into the banknote input and output port 21 by the user are sent one by one through the banknote conveying unit 26 to the characteristics recognition unit 1 which reads the characteristics of the banknotes. Banknotes whose data could not be read by the characteristics recognition unit 1 are returned to the user through the banknote input and output opening 21, and only the banknotes whose data could be read are accepted by the automated teller machine 20. Banknotes accepted by the automated teller machine 20 are collected in the first banknote conveying unit 22 to the third banknote conveying unit 24 depending on the banknote data read by the characteristics recognition unit 1, and the read data is stored in the data storage unit 13. The case where a user takes out banknotes from the automated teller machine will now be described. The first banknote collecting unit 22 and the second banknote collecting unit 23 dispense banknotes with necessary numbers according to the amount of money entered by the user into the user display operation unit 4. The characteristic recognition unit 1 reads the characteristic data of banknotes, compares this data with the data stored in the data storage unit 13, and sends banknotes whose data matches the stored data to the banknote input and output port 21 so that these banknotes are paid out to the user. Banknotes whose data cannot be read are received in the third banknote collecting unit 24 and specified based on the data that could be read and the data stored in the data storage unit 13. Then, the data of these specified banknotes are stored in the data storage unit 13.

In Figure 4, when the device is started, it is determined whether the reset process for initializing the control unit 10 is being executed or not (step 100). If the reset process is to be executed, the process goes to step 200, and if the reset process is not to be executed, the process goes to step 300.

In step 200, the data storage unit 13 provided in the control unit 10 is initialized according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 5. According to Figure 5, all data areas, each used to store data representing characteristics of banknotes to be received in the ATM, are cleared in step 201. In step 202, all counters are cleared, and in step 203, all flags are cleared. In step 204, the addresses of all data areas are initialized, and in step 205, each initial value is set. Then, the process proceeds to step 300.

In step 300, a type of process is selected, such as input, output, loading or retrieval of banknotes, which is required to be performed in the display-operation unit 4 for users or in the display-operation unit 5 for operators. These processes can be divided into a receiving process for receiving banknotes into the ATM and a dispensing process for dispensing banknotes from the ATM.

In step 400, the processing input executed in step 300 is decided. If a recording process is selected, the process goes to step 500, and if an output process is selected, the process goes to step 600. After completing the selected processing, the process goes to step 700. In step 700, a decision is made as to whether the ATM should continue to operate or stop. If the ATM should continue to operate, the process goes back to step 300, and if the ATM should stop, the process goes to step 800 to stop the ATM's operation.

In step 500, the bill receiving routine is carried out according to the detailed program flow shown in Fig. 6. In step 501, the presence or absence of bills remaining in the bill collecting units 22, 23 and 24 receiving bills and storing them for dispensing is decided. A known device using an optical sensor (not shown) is used to detect the presence or absence of bills, and a detected signal is sent to the sheet receiving control unit 2. If no bills remain in any of the bill collecting units, the process goes to step 502, and if bills remain in the bill collecting units, the process goes to step 504. The receiving processing in the case where no bills remain is the same as the bill loading process described above. In step 502, all recording data areas are cleared, and in step 503, the addresses of all recording data areas are initialized. In step 504, data representing characteristics of banknotes are read from the banknote characteristics detection unit 1. As a reading unit for the banknote characteristics detection unit 1, a known device using a line sensor (not shown) can be used. In step 505, it is determined whether there are banknotes to be processed, and if there is no banknote to be processed, the process goes to step 506.

In step 510, data that has been read is processed according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 7. In step 511, the reading status of characteristic data of banknotes is decided. If characteristic data of banknotes could be read, the process goes to step 530, and if characteristic data could not be read , the process goes to step 521. In step 530, a storage state of read characteristic data is set according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 8. In step 512, it is decided whether or not a storage flag is set. If the flag is set, the process goes to step 512, and if the flag is not set, the process goes to step 519. In step 513, data is compared with the data from a step before. In step 514, it is determined whether the data agrees with the data from a step before. If the data agree, the process goes to step 515 and an equal value flag is set, and then the process goes to step 517. If the data do not agree, the process goes to step 516 and an equal value flag is reset, and then the process goes to step 517. In step 517, data and flag values are stored in each receiving data area. In step 518, the receiving data area address is incremented by one. In step 519, banknotes are received in a predetermined receiving unit and the process goes to step 520. In step 521, banknotes are received at a predetermined location such as the banknote input and output opening 21 because the characteristic data of the banknotes could not be read.

In step 530, the process for setting the memory state is carried out according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 8. In step 531, it is determined whether the value of the memory counter is zero or not. If the value of the memory counter is zero, the memory flag is set in step 532. If the value of the memory counter is not zero, the memory flag is reset in step 534. In step 535, the difference between the value of the memory counter and the set memory step value is calculated, and in step 536, it is determined whether the difference is zero or not. If the difference is zero, the process goes to step 537 where the memory counter is cleared, after which the process goes to step 539. If the difference is not zero, the process goes to step 538 where the memory counter is incremented by one, after which the process goes to step 539.

In step 600, the issue processing is performed according to the detailed flow shown in Fig. 9. In step 601, the counter of each receiving address is decremented by one. In step 602, banknotes are issued from a predetermined banknote collecting unit, and in step 603, the characteristic data of the issued banknotes are read by the banknote characteristic detection unit 1. In step 604, it is determined whether the characteristic data could be read. If the characteristic data could not be read, the process goes to step 610, where the non-reading time processing is performed according to the detailed flow shown in Fig. 10. If the characteristic data could be read, the process goes to step 620, where the reading time processing is performed according to the detailed flow shown in Fig. 11. After the non-read time processing in step 610, it is determined in step 605 whether there are banknotes to be processed. If there are banknotes to be processed, the process goes to step 602. If there are no banknotes to be processed, then the process goes to step 606. In step 606, the operation of the ATM is stopped and the process goes to step 608. After the read time processing in step 620, if there are banknotes to be processed in step 607, then the process goes to step 601. If there are no banknotes to be processed in step 607, then the process goes to step 608.

In step 610, the non-read time processing is performed according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 10. In step 611, the state of the non-read flag is checked. If the flag is in the reset state, the process goes to step 612, and if the non-read flag is in the set state, the process goes to step 614. In step 612, the non-read flag is set, and in step 613, certain various flags are cleared. In step 614 the banknotes are collected in a predetermined banknote collecting unit, whereupon the process goes to step 615.

In step 620, the read timing processing is performed according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 11. In step 621, the comparison flag is checked. If the comparison flag is in the set state, the process goes to step 622, and if the comparison flag is in the reset state, the process goes to step 628. In step 622, read data is compared with the data in a predetermined recording data area address. In step 623, it is determined whether or not these data match. If these data do not match, the process goes to step 626, and if these data match, the process goes to step 624. In step 624, the data of the recording data area address is cleared. In step 625, the recording data area address is decremented by one, and the process goes to step 629. In step 626, the operation of the ATM is stopped and the number of banknotes to be processed further is set to zero. Then, the process goes to step 633. In step 628, the state of the correspondence flag is checked. If the correspondence flag is in the set state, the process goes to step 629, and if the correspondence flag is in the reset state, the process goes to step 640. In step 629, the comparison counter is incremented by one and in step 630, the difference between the value of the comparison counter and the storage step value is calculated. In step 631, it is determined whether or not the calculated difference is zero. If the difference is zero, the process goes to step 632 where the comparison flag is set and the comparison counter is cleared, after which the process goes to step 633. If the difference is not zero in step 631, the process goes to step 633. In step 640, the correspondence reading processing is performed and the process goes to step 633.

In step 640, the correspondence reading processing is performed according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 12. In step 641, the preparation flag is checked. If this flag is in the set state, the process goes to step 642, and if this flag is in the reset state, the process goes to step 649. In step 649, the comparison counter is cleared, and in step 650, the "equal value" flag of the data in the recording data area is checked. If the "equal value" flag is in the reset state, the process goes to step 653, and if the "equal value" flag is in the set state, the process goes to step 652, where the set comparison counter value is incremented by one. In step 653, the comparison counter value is incremented by one, and in step 654, the difference between the set comparison counter value and the comparison counter value is calculated. In step 655, it is determined whether the calculated difference is zero or not. If the difference is zero, the process goes to step 657, and if the difference is not zero, the process goes to step 656, where data of the next recording data area is called, after which the process goes to step 650. In step 657, the comparison counter is cleared and the preparation flag is set. In step 658, the set comparison counter value is multiplied by the number of storage steps, after which the process goes to step 642. In step 642, the read data is stored in the comparison data area, and in step 643, the comparison data area address is incremented by one. In step 645, the value of the comparison counter is incremented by one. In step 646, the difference between the set comparison counter value and the comparison counter value is calculated, and in step 647, the difference is checked. If the difference is not zero, the process goes to step 659, and if the difference is zero, the process goes to step 670 where the correspondence check is performed. In step 648, the correspondence flag is set and the process goes to step 659.

In step 670, the correspondence check is performed according to the detailed program flow shown in Figure 13. In step 671, the recorded data is compared with the comparison data. The two data are compared in step 672 to see whether they are the same or not. If the two data are the same, the process goes to step 677, and if the two data are not the same, the process goes to step 673. In step 673, the data of the comparison data area is checked. In step 674, it is determined whether or not data exists. If there is data, the process goes to step 671, and if there is no data, the process goes to step 675. In step 675, data of the next recorded data area is called. In step 676, the guide data of the comparison data area is called and the process goes to step 671. In step 677, the recording data area address and the comparison data area address are stored in the correspondence area and the comparison counter is cleared. In step 678, the state of the "equal value" flag is checked. If the flag is in the set state, the process goes to step 680, and if the flag is in the reset state, a predetermined correspondence number is incremented by one in step 679 and the process goes to step 680. In step 680, the correspondence number is compared with a predetermined correspondence number. In step 681, it is determined whether the correspondence number agrees with the predetermined correspondence number. If the two numbers are the same, the process goes to step 685, and if the two numbers are not the same, the process goes to step 682. In step 682, the recording data is compared with the comparison data of the storage step. If the two data are the same, the process goes to step 677, and if the two data are not the same, the process goes to step 684. In step 684, the recording guide data of the correspondence area and the comparison data area address are increased by one, and the process goes to step 678. In step 685, the data within the correspondence area up to the final storage address and the comparison counter are cleared. In step 686, the comparison data is cleared and the data of the comparison counter is incremented by one. In step 687, it is determined whether there is comparison data or not. If there is comparison data, the process goes to step 686, and if there is no comparison data, the process goes to step 688.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to specify any banknote in the automated teller machine based on the banknote information stored before and after a corresponding banknote, the information being part of the letters or symbols representing the characteristics of each banknote stored for a predetermined number of banknotes. This makes it possible to automatically manage in real time the amount of various banknotes input into the automated teller machine, the amount of various banknotes output from the automated teller machine, and the stock of banknotes in the automated teller machine including the amount of non-issuable banknotes.

Other schematic control diagrams showing banknote control concepts to which the above-described control system can be applied are described below. Figure 14 shows a system for storing all letters or symbols representing banknote characteristics for a given number of banknotes. In this case, letters or symbols can be specified for each banknote. Thus, the "same value" flag used in the above program flow is not necessary. Figure 15 shows a system for storing parts of letters or symbols representing banknote characteristics for all banknotes. In this case, only one banknote is set for storage in the above program flow. Figure 16 shows a system for storing all letters or symbols representing banknote characteristics for all banknotes. In this case, it is possible to specify all banknotes. Thus, this system can be implemented only by using of the non-read flag in the above program flow.

As described above, the above control system can be applied to any of the control concepts described above, and it is also possible to automatically handle in real time the various types of banknotes inserted into the ATM, the amount of various banknotes dispensed from the ATM, and the stock of banknotes in the ATM including the amount of non-dispensable banknotes.

Furthermore, since it is possible to handle the amount of banknotes automatically and in real time, it is possible to display the result of the handling indicating the amounts as shown in Figure 17 in the display-operating unit 5 for operators. It is also possible to transmit the screen display to a remote monitoring unit (not shown), so that it becomes possible to perform unified handling.

Although the present embodiments have been described for application to banknotes in automated teller machines, the present embodiments can also be applied to sheets such as check forms or lottery tickets that carry identifiable information. Since these sheets can be handled during the course of various processes, no manpower or time is required for handling, making it possible to perform uniform handling of the information of all relevant devices.

According to the invention, it is possible to store and handle data representing the characteristics of each banknote in the machine, so that banknotes can be completely handled in the machine.

Since it is possible to read and handle characteristics of banknotes during the processing of banknotes, it is It is also possible to save labor and time for handling.

Furthermore, the present control system can also be applied to sheets other than banknotes, which have letters or symbols for specifying each sheet, which enables these sheets to be handled in a similar manner.

Claims (10)

1. Sheet handling device (20) with - Reading devices (1) for reading characteristics of a sheet, - display means (4, 5) for displaying information concerning the processed sheets, - control means (10) for controlling the operation of the device and - storage means (13) for storing the characteristics of the sheets read by the reading means (1) in the order in which the sheets are received in a collecting section (22, 23) of the device, characterized by setting means (5, 205) for setting a part of the characteristics to be stored in the storage means (13) and for setting a step value for selecting the sheets and storing their read characteristics. 2. Sheet handling device according to claim 1, characterized by return means (21, 26) for returning the sheets when the characteristics of the sheet cannot be read by the reading means (1) during the reception of the sheet. 3. Sheet handling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the return means - means (25) for temporarily storing sheets whose characteristics cannot be read during the recording of the sheets and - means (26) for returning the sheets stored in the temporary storage means (25) to a receiving opening. 4. Sheet handling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the receiving opening is also used as an output opening for outputting sheets from the device (20). 5. A sheet handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by specifying means for specifying a sheet when characteristics of the sheet cannot be read during discharge of the sheets from the device (20). 6. Sheet handling device according to claim 5, characterized by means (24) for receiving sheets whose characteristics cannot be read during the output of the sheets from the device (20). 7. Sheet handling device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by a receiving and dispensing opening (21) for users to receive and dispense sheets through this opening. 8. Sheet handling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by at least one collecting means (22) for collecting sheets whose characteristics can be read. 9. Sheet handling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the sheets are banknotes. 10. Sheet handling device according to at least one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the characteristics are numbers which specify the sheets.